Carton for resiliently supporting articles



Dec. 15, 1964 J. J. WELLER CARTON FOR RESILIENTLY SUPPORTING ARTICLES Filed June 27, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JOHN J. WELL 5 Dec. 15, 1964 J. J. WELLER 3,161,339

CARTON FOR RESILIENTLY SUPPORTING ARTICLES Filed June 27, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 METERING 25 MEANS INVENTOR.

JOHN J WELLER z (2 .Ma

A TTOR NE) United States Patent Ofiice 3,151,339 Patented Dec. 15, 1964 3,161,339 CARTON FOR RESILIENTLY SUPPORTING ARTICLES John J. Weller, Allentown, Pa, assignor to Standard Plastics, Inc, Fogelsville, Pin, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed June 27, 196i), Ser. No. 39,008 1 Ciaim. (Ci. 22914) This invention, generally, relates to cartons and to a method for making cartons to enclose articles resiliently for transportation and storage.

There are many types of articles and materials that require special packing and protection for the purpose of shipping, storing or merely for preservation. By way of example, some of the articles that usually require special packaging include electron tubes, aircraft instruments, gyros, guidance systems, electronic components, etc.

Conventional methods for packaging such articles and materials involve the construction of special boxes or crates and the use of soft, yielding packing materials such as excelsoir, shredded paper, etc. These conventional methods are not only expensive and time consuming, but also involve steps or acts, such as nailing up the boxes, that actually endanger the article or material being packed.

One packaging method which has been suggested in the past requires articles to be encased completely in a cellular or foamaceous material to a selected thickness that is effective as a protection against shock impacts, vibration, etc. Such prior practices, however, are concerned also with providing a good thermal insulating blanket and a fluid-tight or fiuid-impervious shell to protect the article or material against deterioration by temperature changes and moisture- To utilize such previously known methods, therefore, it is necessary that the article or material to be packed be available at the time the package is formed since the article or material is to be encased completely by the cellular or foamaceous material. Also, it has been found to be disadvantageous in having the article or material substantially sealed off from ready access for such purposes as inspection and checking just prior to shipment, and obviously, once such prior packages are used, they are not reusable.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved carton to enclose an article resiliently for transportation and storage.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carton of new and improved structure to permit manufacture separately so that an article to be encased therein may be inserted and removed without damage to the carton.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a method of manufacture for a carton to encase an article resiliently for transportation and storage.

Briefly, a carton constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention includes an outer container and an inner container. The inner container is sufficiently smaller than the outer container so as to fit therein and define a space between the two containers. A belt of resilient material suchas, for example, foamed plastic, is bonded about the periphery of the inner container and to the outer container to suspend the inner container resiliently within the outer container.

A preferred method for forming a carton as outlined above includes the steps of suspending a first, smaller container within a second, larger container. A confined space of predetermined dimensions is defined annularly within the outer container and around the inner container.

Then, a suitable foamable material is injected into the annular space and permitting to expand to fill the space completely. Such material adheres automatically to the surfaces of the two containers and forms an intimate bond therewith. When the foamable material has been cured, the smaller container is supported within the larger container entirely by a ring or belt of resilient material, and the completed carton is removed for use elsewhere to pack or store an article within the inner container.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective partly cut away to show the novel construction of a carton in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of an alternative arrangement for a carton in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective of a further alternative arrangement in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 4 is an annular bag-like member for use with the arrangement shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a lower platen-like member for use in forming the carton of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing an inner smaller container mounted within the centrally disposed opening shown in FIG. 5;

PEG. 7 is a view similar to that shown in FIG. 6 with the outer container supported in appropriately spaced rela tionship with the inner container; and

FIG. 8 shows the positioning of an upper platen-like surface within the outer container and around the inner container to define a space with the surface of the lower platen-like surface for the formation therein of a ring or belt of plastic, foamable material. 1

While the ring or belt may be formed of various types of selected foams or cellular plastics, it is preferred to employ either an alkyd resin-poly isocyanate foamed plastic, a member of a class known as cellular polyurethane or polyurethane foam-s, or a foamed phenolic resin plastic of the type that can be poured around the object in the form of a reactive liquid mixture to react and foam at atmospheric pressure and room temperature. A belt formed thusly is of low density, has relatively high strength, and constitutes a cellular material having substantially uniform closed cells throughout.

Recent developments in the preparation of flexible elastomeric cellular structures have resulted in new plastic products having excellent shock-absorbing properties. Of particular interest are cellular products of polyurethane material formed from liquid polymeric reaction mixtures containing polyisocyanates.

The reaction mixture are polymeric materials which are either liquid at room temperature or capable of being m lted at relatively low temperatures. These polymeric materials contain active hydrogen atoms which react with the isocyanate groups to form a network of cross-linked molecular chains, and the polyisocyanate functions not only as a cross-linker or curative for the polymeric material, but also reacts with water provided in the liquid reaction mixture to form carbon dioxide which causes the liquid reaction mixture to expand and foam, whereby a flexible, cellular structure is formed which retains its foamed cellular character after the polymer has been cross-linked or cured.

The reaction between the isocyanate and the water to form carbon dioxide and the reaction between the polyisocyanate and the polymeric material to effect a cure of the polymeric material takes place concurrently. The composition of the mixture generally is controlled so that curing obtains after the desired volume expansion has been effected.

The foregoing materials have given rise to the production of various foamed-in-place plastic objects for use in such industries as the electrical, shipping and aircraft in- 3 I I dustr'ies where good shock absorbing and other propertie are desired. 7

Referring now to the form of the invention shownin FIG. .1 of t be drawings a carton 10v is; composed of an- QP P onta n 1- n s, nne nta e T m container :12 is suspended within. the outer container .11.

by aresilient annular ring or, beltlS which adheres to the I u ifi t c n a n It s cqn em a z t a e; hiskncsso the i ent ring 1 3;.is, predeterrnined to support the inner container "(Plu ontc t lr sil en ly. he cre, the n ofv a hickn s ubstant al y a le an, ght of theinner container 12. In addition,-.it is conten plated that IhfizICSlllQl'lE ring; 13,- is bonded firmly about the pep er f t-the nner conta e 2 .andit tne in e surfac .verticalposition of the ring 13 may be varied relative to the height of the container12.

Although the particular configuration of'the inner container 12 is;;shown in FIG. 1 .as being rectangular, it is understood that any other desired configuration, such as cylindrical, forexample, may be. used if desired. This is true also for the outer container :11.

A distinct advantage. achieved by a construction in accordancewith the invention is that the carton 10. may be manufactured separately for an article (not shown) to be inserted later. 7 Moreover, the carton 10, in accordance ;with the,.invention, is reusable.

An alternative arrangement :within'thescope of the invention isshown in. FIG. .2 of the drawingswherein the resilient ring 13' is provided with angularly disposed -tainer ll'xmore readily inaa rotational direction rather than a strictlyllinear direction.

A further alternativerarrangement in accordance with the invention isishownin FIG. 3 of-the drawings wherein an annular shaped, pliable bag '18, FIG. 4, is'dimensinned? appropriately so that its mean "circumference is substantially equalto :the mean circumference ofthe annular space. .defined :between the, inner container 12" and the outer container 11". As. will be understood better aftera detailed description of the method offorming the carton :10. shown in FIG. 1, the arrangement shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 provide also an alternative method of forming the .carton .102.

Before .describinga. preferred method in accordance 'withthe invention, reference is .made to FIGS. 5-8 which show a.lower. platen-like surfacei20: with a centrally disposed opening. 21 dimensioned appropriatelyto receive the 'inner. container .12, FIG. 1, :in. relatively close'fitting relationship. The. outer, peripheral dimensionsofthe platenalike surface ..20..are such that the outer' container .11, FIG. 1, fitsthereover'in relatively close fitting [rela- The height of the platen-like surface '20 tionship also. I V V above,v a flange. 22, or. other-support, is selected so that the bottom. surfaceof aring 13, FIG. 1, will be the desired distance abovezthe bottom of the outer container 11;.

An .upper platen-likesurface 23, FIG. 8, is formed with a centrallydisposed. opening 24 to fit about the inner container. 12, and theuup'per-platen-like surface 23 has a peripheral dimension appropriate to fit closely within the outer container 11. Suitable support means 25 is provided to raise andlower theupper'p'laten-like surface 23 within the container 11, and a flexible hose or pipe 26 connects a metered source of. plastic, foamable material to the space v27 defined by the-spaced apart platen-like surfaces 20land 23 so that a desired quantity of foamable material is dispensed Within the space 27.

Now it may be seen that to forma carton 10- inaccordance with a preferred method of the invention, an inner container 12. is placed Withinthe opening. 21, FIG. 6. Then, with the inner container 12 in position, an outer container 11 is mounted over the inner container 12 to be supported on the flange 22, FIG. 7. By lowering the upper platen-like surface 23 into. the container 11, a predetermined distance, a space 27 is defined tobe equal to .the

desired thickness of the. ring 13, seen in FIG..1.

A metered quantity of plastic, foamable material is dispensed into this-space .27, and. due to its confinement thejplastic material will. fill the space 27 adhering automatically to the surfacesf'of the two containers 11 and 12. The surfaces-of the platens 20 and 23 are pretreated to prevent the foarnable material from adhering to these members. After the foamable material hasexpanded and has. been cured, the: upper platen-like surface 23 is withdrawn and the complete carton 10,.as shown in FIG. 1, is ready for-use..

To-assemble the cartonll)", shown in FIG. 3a ring 16 of a suitable-contact adhesive is applied to theinner surface of the outer containerll" and a ring 17 of this same adhesive-is applied annularly-about the inner container 12-. Then, the bag 18, one form of which is shown, in FIG. 4, is placed over the inner container 12" to apositionin line with the two rings 16 and 17. The bag 18 is filled with a foamable-plastic material so that it expands and contacts theadhesive rings 16-and 17. A suitable inlet 19 is provided on the bag 18 for insertion of the foamable material. Thismethod avoids the requirement of a I mold or other confining structure such as described prec ly- I The above described containerand method for making the container is understood to; be merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and'modifications and alterations may bernade therein by one skilled in theart without departing from the true spiritand scope of the invention asset forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

A carton 'to enclosean article for transportation and storage comprising an outer container, an inner container, said inner container being smallerin dimensions than said outercontainer to -fit;within said outer container and define a space between thetwo containers, only one'continuous belt of resilient material within said space and bonded .to both". saidaouter and said inner containers,

and said; belt having portions displaced axially of said inner'and outer containers fromother portions of said .beltsothat the'b elt, portions lie in substantially difierent planes to increasethe rotational moment of inertia ,of said carton.

References Citedin the'file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

